Crossed leg folding table or tray



EIJE-E 4 7 0 p 5, 1953 J. w. BRYAN 2,652,299

CROSSED LEG FOLDING TABLE 0R TRAY Filed Sept. 9, 1949 2 Sheets-She8t 2by J 3 a J3 I 94 4 A 7/ INVENTOR JOHN W. BRYAN Patented Sept. 15, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,652,299 CROSSED LEG FOLDING TABLE R TRAYJohn W., Bryan, Traphill, N. C. Application September 9, 1949, SerialNo. 114,817

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved serving tray having folding legs.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved serving tray ofthe kind described in my copending application Serial No. 86,977, filedApril 12, 1949, for a Folding-Leg Serving Tray, now Patent No.2,557,594, issued June 19, 1951. Ihe supporting legs of this inventionare secured on the tray in a manner to substantially bias the legs froma folded position to an extended position, and also from the extendedposition to the folded position. In this manner the present trayarrangement provides an improvement over my copending application inthat the folding and extension of the legs is greatly facilitated andthe legs may be unlocked from either extreme position by the operationof the same fingerlatch-control means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a folding table and trayof this kind having finger-actuated control means for latching the legsin the folded and extended positions and having a slidable pivotconnection between the legs substantially concealed in certain ones 01'the legs. The latch-control means and members, together with theconnections between the movingand movable parts of this table, aresubstantially concealed in the table top and legs in all positions ofthe legs, thereby providing a very pleasing and attractive appearancewith smoothoperating operational parts.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a folding-table ofthis kind having a novel latch means for securing the pivoted legs intheir selected folded and extended positions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel latch structurefor a folding table or the like having substantially reversible elementssecured together in such a manner that by a simple rearrangement of theelements the latch may be converted for use on the left and right sidesof the confronting channel members in which oppositely-extending latchbolts are adapted to be engaged;

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a smooth-operatingfolding table having relatively sensitive latch means for securing thelegs in their folded or extended positions. The use of folding legsbiased: from both the extended and folded positions provides for atray-table which may be readily folded orextended even while articles,as water glasses and the like, are supported on the table as theoperator may readily maintain the tray or table top horizontal while thelegs are being folded and extended.

. formed with a table top I With the above and other objects in view, myinvention consists in the arrangement, combination and details ofconstruction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a serving tray and table constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention, showing the legs in fulllines in their extended position, and, in dotted lines, the legs intheir partially-folded position;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away and partly insection, of the table with the legs extended;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the the legs extended;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure3;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a longitudinal section of this folding table and servingtray with the legs folded in their extreme retracted positions.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral ['0 designates generally afolding-leg table and serving table constructed according to anembodiment of my invention, which is foldable from an extended conditionproviding a serving table to a collapsed position forming a servingtray. The table II! is I having a flat. horizontal sheet of wood l2, orother suitably light and strong material, bounded by a table top framel4. The frame I4 is formed with end frame members table with sectiontaken on the secured to the longitudinal side end edges of the panel l2and abut at their opposite ends, the opposite ends of the side framemembers IS.

A pair of supporting legs 11 are pivotally mounted" on one transverse orend frame member.

15, and extend downwardly below the panel l2. A pair of pivot pins, I 8are carried by the end frame member l5 and engage through the legs lladjacent the upper or outer ends thereof A transverse bar 19 is fixed tothe upper or outer ends of the legs I1 beyond the, pivots 18 forsecuring the legs I! together and constitutes a carrying handle at oneend of the table I0. handle I9 is spaced outwardly from the end framemember I5 and will an upwardly and outwardly-extending position to adownwardly and outwardly-extending horizontal folded position. Thedepending portions l5 which are secured to the end. edges of the panell2 and side frame members 16.

normally swing from 3 of the legs I! are swingable from an inwardlydeclining position below the panel [2 to a horizontal folded positionclosely underlying the panel 12.

A second pair of supporting legs 20 are pivotally mounted on the otherend frame member 15 and extend below the panel l2 for intersecting theother legs I! in crossing relation in the extended position of all ofthe legs. The legs 20 are pivoted on hinge pins 2! secured to the otherend member IS. A transverse bar or handle 22 is fixed between the upperouter ends of the legs 20 forming a second handle at the other end ofthe table top I I.

The legs I! are hinged adjacent the extreme outer ends of one end framemember I; while the legs 23 are hinged inwardly from the extreme outerends of the other end frame member l5 in such a manner that the innerlegs 20 substantially slidably overlie the inner side surfaces of theouter legs H in all positions of both pairs of legs.

. A transverse connecting bar 24 is fixed between the legs 25 and spacedupwardly from the lower or inner ends thereof. The transverse lowerconnecting bar 24, with the handle 22, rigidly secures the legs 20together for operative sliding movement in engagement with the legs [1.

Each of the supporting legs I! is formed in its laterally inward sidewith an elongated T-slot 25 intermediate the length thereof. A circularopening 25 is formed in each of the legs ll at the upper end of the slot25 for receiving the head 21 of a pivot bolt 28. A pivot bolt 28 isfixed on each of the inner legs 20 in alignment with the cross-bar 24and extends laterally outwardly beyond the outer side surfaces of thelegs 20. The cross-portion 29 of the T-slot 25 is slightly larger indiameter than the bolt head 21 and the narrow slot portion 35 isslightly greater in width than the diameter of the shank 3|, of the bolt28, to provide for the free sliding movement of the bolts 28 along thelength of the slots 25 while restraining the legs I? against outwardseparation from each other and from the inner legs 20. The enlargedcircular opening 26 at the upper end of each slot 25 provides for theinitia1 engagement of the bolts 23 into the slots 25 in the assembly ofthe table l0.

A latch 32 is carried by each of the legs I! at the lower end of theslot 25 for releasably latching together the adjacent inner legs 26 andouter legs H. The latches 32 are each formed with a base plate 34, forfixed attachment to the legs I! and a hook member 35 rockably mountedthereon. A pair of transversely-spaced-apart screws 36 are engagedthrough the plate 34 midway the length thereof for rigidly securing theplate to the respective outer leg l'l. The hook 35 is L-shaped inconfiguration, having a hook arm 31 and a right angular lever arm 48formed integrally on one end thereof. A headed pivot pin 39 traversesthe hook 35 at the juncture of the arms and is secured to the plate 34at a point about midway between and at one side of the screws 36. Thetransverse disposition of the pin 39 midway between the screws 36provides for the reverse use of the plate 34 on either the left or rightside of the table 10.

A longitudinally-extending fiat spring 40 is secured on the innersurface of each plate 34 and extends upwardly between the leg I! onwhich the plate 34 is mounted, and the adjacent leg 20. The flat spring40 engages along the arm 31 of the hook 35 and biases the arm 31 intoparallel relation with the leg l1 and slot 25. The saixi portion of thespring 40 will overlie the same portion of the horizontal arm 31,irrespective of the left or right hand disposition of the hooks 35, thusadapting each hook for left and right-hand use. A separate base plate 34will be used for the opposed latch dispositions, but the hook 35 isformed in exactly the same manner for use on either side of the table.

The bill 4| of the hook 35 will normally be disposed in lookingengagement with the bolt 28, and is formed with an upwardly-inclinedupper edge forming a cam to displace the hook as the bolt slidesdownwardly along the length of the slot 25.

The extreme lower ends of each of the other pair of legs 25 are eachformed with a shoulder or ledge 42 for securing the legs in their foldedor retracted positions. A cross-bar 44 is carried by the table top H, onthe lower side thereof, for engagement with the shoulders 42. A fingergrip or trigger 45 is secured to the latch bar 44 and extends outwardlythrough a notch 46 in one of the transverse frame members l5 betweenthat frame member and the adjacent handle bar IS.

A pair of rods 4'? are fixedly connected to the opposite ends of thelatch bar 44 and extend downwardly along the length of the outer legs Hfor pivoted connection to the outer ends of the lever arms 48 of thehooks 35. The latch bar 44 is positioned in closely-spaced relation tothe transverse frame member l5 and will be supported for slidingmovement lengthwise of the legs I! by the engagement of the oppositeends thereof in elongated, longitudinal slots 49 in the upper ends ofthe legs l1.

With the legs in the folded or extended position, a slight outward pullon of the trigger 45 by th fingers of a user will disengage either thehooks from their latch bolts 28, or the latch bar 44 from the shoulders42, Whichever latch means was in securing condition at the time.

A pair of coil springs 50 are supported on the inner side of the framemember E5 on which the legs 25 are pivotally mounted. A substantially L-shaped bar 5|, having one arm 52 penetrating the frame member I5, isloosely engaged through the coils of the springs 55 for supporting thesprings in position. The other arm 54 of the bar 5| is secured at itsend to the inner surface of the transverse frame member to hold thesprings 50 from sliding transversely, while the arm 52 holds the springsfrom longitudinal movement on the table top I l.

One end of the coil spring 50 bears against the frame member and theother end is connected to the leg 20 below the pivot 2] thereof. Thesprings 50 are tensioned to sharply bias the legs to a folded positionfrom the extreme extended position and the spring bias iscounterbalanced by the weight of the legs, whereby the weight of thelegs will bias the legs from the latched folded position when thecross-bar 44 is released from the shoulders 42. Although the springtension and weight of the legs would be balanced somewhere near themid-point of the swinging travel of the pivoted legs, the legs may bereadily moved to the other latched position upon application of a slightforce on the handles 19 and 22 in the direction opposite from thedesired travel of the legs.

For moving the legs from the folded, retracted position forming aportable serving tray, clearly shown in Figure 7 of the drawings, thetrigger 45 is moved outwardly by a finger of the person holding the trayl by the handles I 9 and 22. When the latch bar 44 is disengaged fromthe legs and shoulders 42, the weight of the legs l1 and 20, togetherwith the upward force exerted on the handles outwardly from the frame,will pivot the legs downwardly and inwardly to the latched, extended andcrossing table-forming position shown in Figure 1.

For retracting the legs, the trigger 45 is moved again outwardly fromthe frame member l5, thereby releasing the hooks 35 from the bolts 28and the springs will bias the legs upwardly, sliding the bolts 28upwardly in the slots 25, and a slight downward pressure on the handleswill complete the swinging to a folded latched position. From thisoperation it is clear that the release of the legs from their latchedfolded and extended positions is accomplished by the same releasemember, the trigger 45.

Felt pads are secured, as by glue, on the lower side of the panel I2 tocushion the engagement of the legs l1 and 20 with the panel I 2 as theymove into folded position.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a table tray, a table top, a first pair of inner and outer legs, asecond pair of inner and outer legs, said first and second pairs of legsbeing laterally spaced from each other and positioned along oppositesides of said table top, means pivoting the legs of said pairs to spacedpoints of said table top at points spaced near a one end of the legs,the legs of each pair being crossed at points intermediate said one endof the legs and the other ends thereof, pin-and-slot means connectingtogether the legs of said pairs, crossbar means extending between andconnected to the first and second pairs of legs whereby the pairs oflegs are connected for pivotal and sliding movement between retractedpositions close to the table top to extended positions remote from thetable top, said pin-andslot means comprising a pin fixed on the innerleg of a pair of inner and outer legs and a longitudinal slot formed inthe other leg in which the pin is slidably confined, latch meanscomprising a, releasable L-shaped hook rockably mounted on said otherleg and retainably engageable with the pin only in the extendedpositions of the legs, spring means acting between the table top and thesaid one end of the legs of one of the pairs and biasing the pairs oflegs toward retracted position, and trigger means mounted on the tabletop and operatively connected to said latch means for releasing thelatch means.

2. In a table tray. a table top, a first pair of inner and outer legs, asecond pair of inner and outer legs, said first and second pairs of legsbeing laterally spaced from each other and positioned along oppositesides of said table top, means pivoting the legs of said pairs to spacedpoints of said table top at points spaced near one end of the legs, thelegs of each pair being crossed at points intermediate said one end ofthe legs and the other ends thereof, pin-and-slot means connectingtogether the legs of said pairs, crossbar means extending between andconnected to the first and second pairs of legs whereby the pairs oflegs are connected for pivotal and sliding movement between retractedpositions close to the table top to extended positions remote from thetable top, said pin-andslot means comprising a pin fixed on the innerleg of a pair of inner and outer legs and a longitudinal slot formed inthe other leg in which the pin is slidably confined, latch meanscomprising a releasable L-shaped hook rockably mounted on said other legretainably engageable with the pin only in the extended positions of thelegs, spring means acting between the table top and the said one end ofthe legs of one of the pairs and biasing the pairs of legs towardretracted position, and trigger means mounted on the table top andoperatively connected to said latch means for releasing the latch means,a releasable latch bar mounted on the table top with which the saidother ends of legs are retainably engageable in the retracted positionsof the legs, said trigger means being connected to said latch bar.

JOHN W. BRYAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 468,791 Crane Feb. 16, 1892 1,034,885 Defatsch Aug. 6, 19121,237,269 Abraham Aug. 21, 1917 1,583,999 Scheibe May 11, 1926 2,178,172Johnson Oct. 31, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 49,484 NorwayOct. 19, 1931

